Transfer of judges internal matter of judiciary, government has no say in it: Justice Bhuyan
Pune (PTI): Transfer of judges is an internal matter of the judiciary and the government has no role to play in the process, Supreme Court judge Justice Ujjal Bhuyan asserted here on Saturday.
Independence of judiciary was "non-negotiable", he said, delivering G V Pandit Memorial Lecture at the ILS Law College here.
"Transfer of a judge is always for the better administration of justice. It is an internal matter of the judiciary. The government can have no say in that," Justice Bhuyan stated.
"By the very nature of things, the Centre can have no say in the transfer and posting of judges. It cannot say that such and such a judge should not or should be transferred, or if transferred, to such and such High Court," he added.
Independence of the judiciary is a basic feature of the Constitution, Justice Bhuyan further said.
"It is non-negotiable. It is for the judiciary, or rather the members of the judiciary, to see to it that its independence is maintained at all costs in order to ensure its continued relevance and legitimacy," the judge said.
He also said that credibility is very vital for the institution.
"If we lose our credibility, nothing will be left of the judiciary. It will be there, judges will be there, courts will be there, it will adjudicate, but its heart and soul will have evaporated," Justice Bhuyan said.
The country's founding fathers chose supremacy of the Constitution over the sovereignty of Parliament, the judge further said, adding, "In India, Parliament is not supreme, the Constitution is supreme."
There were two main reasons for this, Justice Bhuyan said.
"First, to make sure that our country is governed by some basic and essential principles that cannot be compromised. Second, because of our colonial past, our leaders did not want to give unlimited power to Parliament without proper checks and balances," he said.
From this viewpoint, constitutional morality becomes very important as it ensures that democratic institutions respect the core values of liberty and justice, said the Supreme Court judge.
"It requires those in power to show restraint and follow constitutional values, instead of forcing decisions using numbers, authority, or power," he added.
Constitutional morality means that the country is governed by the rule of law, not by the rule of individuals or the majority, and an independent judiciary is not only necessary to protect the rule of law but is also a central pillar of democracy, he said.
Executive Influence in Judge Transfers?”: Justice Ujjal Bhuyan Criticises Collegium Decision
— Live Law (@LiveLawIndia) January 24, 2026
Justice Ujjal Bhuyan, Supreme Court, Judge, criticises Collegium's decision to transfer a Judge at the request of the Central Government.
"When the collegium records that the transfer… pic.twitter.com/OZiLa8xa1t
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Popular Odia singer Abhijit Majumdar dies
Bhubaneswar (PTI): Popular Odia music composer and singer Abhijit Majumdar died on Sunday while undergoing treatment at AIIMS Bhubaneswar, hospital authorities said.
He was 54.
Majumdar was admitted to the hospital on September 4 last year with hypertension, hypothyroidism and chronic liver disease.
After prolonged treatment in the ICU, he was shifted back to the medicine ward on November 10 for continuity of his care, AIIMS said in a statement.
He developed a new onset of fever (infection) on January 23, which was managed as per standard protocol, but he did not respond to treatment and developed refractory septic shock, it said.
"The Odia singer suffered a cardiac arrest this morning at 7.43 am and CPR was started as per ACLS (Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support) protocol. However, despite all the resuscitation efforts, he was clinically declared dead at 9.02 am," the hospital bulletin said.
Majumdar, who composed music for numerous blockbuster Odia films and gave voice to several hit songs, has a fan following across Odisha.
Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, Union minister Dharmendra Pradhan, Leader of the Opposition Naveen Patnaik and several other leaders from the state expressed grief over the demise of Majumdar.
"I am deeply saddened to learn about the demise of renowned vocalist and music director Abhijit Majumdar. His demise is an irreparable loss to our music, cinema, and culture. I extend my heartfelt condolences to the bereaved family and pray to Lord Jagannath for the peace of the departed soul," Majhi wrote on X.
Pradhan, in a social media post, said he was deeply saddened and heartbroken after hearing about Majumdar's demise.
Through his unique musical style, Majumdar had, over many decades, carved out a special place in the hearts of Odia music listeners, Pradhan said.
"His untimely departure is an irreparable loss for the Odia artiste fraternity. While praying for the eternal peace of his soul, I extend my condolences to the bereaved family members," the Union minister said.
Patnaik said Majumdar's contributions to the Odia music world will always remain memorable. He also extended deepest condolences to the bereaved family members.
According to Majumdar's family, the mortal remains of the singer will be taken to his home in Cuttack, where the last rites will be performed.
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